C'est la Vie
by Nefite
Summary: Set during the end of the fight between Tracer and Widowmaker in the animated short 'Alive' and continues from there. Tracer's raw emotions stir something deep inside the cold hearted assassin, something that should have died a long time ago. How will Widowmaker deal with these strange feelings that threaten to shake the very foundations of the world as she knows it?
1. Chapter 1

**C'est La Vie**

Chapter 1

 _I'll seek you out_

 _Flay you alive_

 _One more word and you won't survive_

 _And I'm not scared_

 _Of your stolen power_

 _See right through you any hour_

Blue Foundation – Eyes on Fire

She held her breath and squinted as she dove through the cloud of smoke and flames that had followed the explosion of Tracer's pulse bomb. Her sniper rifle at the ready she pushed herself off the edge of the building. Time seemed to slow down as she move through the air. Raising her rifle she carefully peered through the scope and exhaled slowly, steadying her aim. Her target was right in front of her, a mere 10 feet away, falling through the night air as the young brunette slowly came to her senses. Widowmaker knew she didn't have much time to pull the trigger. As soon as the Brit regained all of her senses and assessed the situation she was in she would blink out of the assassin's line of sight to safety. Still she took her time and relished this moment. It was a perfectly lined up shot. Through her infra-sight she could see Thekartha Mondatta's heat signature glowing a bright red directly behind Tracer. She would either kill this foolish little girl or her target. Either one was fine by her.

Before her she could see the eyes of the small Brit open wide, fear and desperation evident in those bright, hazel eyes, as she fully came to her senses. A very self-satisfied smirk made it's way onto Widowmaker's face as her right index finger squeezed the trigger. The assassin watched as the bullet erupted from the muzzle of her rifle and was set on it's deadly path, as did Tracer. Desperate to escape her fate, the Overwatch member activated her chronal accelerator just in time to transport herself out of time only a split second before the bullet penetrated the air where her chest would have been. Unhindered in it's path, Widowmaker watched with delight as the bullet buried itself inside Thekartha Mondatta's head, knocking the Omnic onto it's back from the impact.

Her job was done.

Quickly sending out her grappling hook she swung herself up on one of the rooftops, watching as panic took over the crowd on King's Row. She heard the trademark sound of Tracer reappearing on the nearest building. She focused her attention on the young girl, who was frantically checking herself and her accelerator for any damage. Unable to find any, Tracer looked up at Widowmaker, confusion evident on her face. The assassin only chuckled, very amused by the girl's reaction. "Looks like the party is over." she said, sounding very pleased with herself. Her statement only seemed to confuse Tracer more as the girl struggled to make sense of the taller woman's words. When she finally figured out what Widowmaker was implying the confusion in her features changed to fear and shock as she sprinted to the edge of the roof, staring unbelievingly down at the panicking crowd and the lifeless body of the Omnic monk.

"Oh no, no...no, no, no!" Tracer exclaimed, her voice desperate at first, became louder and angrier with each word. Widowmaker, still relishing the moment, was unprepared as the girl activated her chronal accelerator a second time, zipping through time with an angry scowl on her face, before reappearing only inches away from the assassin and crashing into her. The momentum sent both of them flying back, skidding across the rooftop in an entangled mass of limbs. Though she was caught off guard, Widowmaker still had the wits about her to send her grappling hook out, lodging it into a brick chimney not too far away.

The two of them came to a slithering halt on the very edge of the roof, as Tracer pinned the blue-skinned assassin down beneath her. Widowmaker was about to use the remainder of their momentum to throw Tracer off her, but something in the way the girl looked at her, her hazel eyes clouded by anger and sadness stopped her from fighting back.

"WHY!?" the young Brit demanded, anger evident in her face and desperation coating her voice. "Why would you do this?" she asked, her pained voice barely a whisper. Widowmaker could see tears starting to form in Tracer's eyes, pooling on top of her lower eyelid and glinting in the dim light of the moon and the city lights. The assassin could have easily fought back, she could have thrown the smaller girl over the edge off the roof, she could have thrown her to the side and reversed their position to gain the upper hand, or just pulled the knife out of her boot and killed this foolish Brit right there on the spot. It would have been so easy. So painfully easy. Yet she couldn't do it. She was unable to move as she stared up into those glazed over, hazel eyes, that were filled with so much pain and sadness. She could feel something stir inside her, a feeling that erupted in her chest without warning. It felt as though someone was pulling an invisible rope tight around her lungs, making it hard to breathe. Widowmaker didn't know what to do. This feeling was so strange and unknown to her, yet she felt like it was something she had been all too familiar with. How could this be? She was supposed to feel exhilarated, triumphant. She had eliminated her target even though a member of Overwatch had tried to intervene. Why wasn't she feeling the satisfaction of the kill?

Slowly, the older woman opened her mouth to say something, but no sound would escape her. She was unable to form words as her head tried to make sense of her situation and this new... 'emotion'.

Obviously the young Brit had picked up on Widowmaker's inability to form words or fight back and she furrowed her brow as confusion chased away most of the anger in her face.

"Wha..." the brunette tried but was interrupted by the sound of a fighter jet appearing over the edge on the other side of the building, it's searchlight flickering briefly over the entire roof before fixing itself on the duo.

This was Widowmaker's cue to leave. Her escape ride. Briskly shaking her head in an attempt to focus on what was important, she pushed her confused thoughts to the back of her mind. She couldn't be seen in this position by Talon, they might think she had become weak and that was not a good thing.

Luckily the appearance of the fighter jet had also gotten Tracer's attention, who had turned her head to the side to see what was going on behind her. Using this distraction to her advantage, Widowmaker grabbed the small Brit by the collar of her jacket as she vaulted herself backwards over the edge of the roof, taking Tracer along with her. Their eyes locked for a brief second mid-air. The blue-skinned assassin could clearly see the look of utter surprise etched into Tracer's features while a single teardrop slowly rolled down her left cheek only to be caught by the edge of her goggles. Their faces were only inches away from each other and Widowmaker could see every freckle on the younger girl's face, she could feel her breath on her skin and the heat of her body radiating off of her small frame. Then the moment was broken as they crashed into the side of the tall building.

Tracer took the brunt of it, crashing into the concrete wall with her back and a pained grunt escaped her as the impact forced the air out of her lungs. Widowmaker was sure she heard something crack but wasn't entirely sure if it was the advanced tech the brunette was wearing or maybe one of her ribs, or both. The impact had loosened her grip on the girl's coat and she watched as the youngest Overwatch member slipped down the side of the building and fell several stories down only to land on top of a smaller house with a loud crush that sent sparks flying from her chronal accelerator.

The assassin hung in mid air for a moment, her gaze fixed on the small frame of the girl lying beneath her. She didn't feel the satisfaction of having defeated an enemy, instead the strange, constricting feeling from earlier snaked it's way back into her consciousness. With grater effort than she'd like to admit, she tore her eyes away from Tracer's beaten form, who was only now starting to move again, slowly and unsteadily and obviously in a lot of pain. Widowmaker made her way up the concrete wall back to the top of the building, climbing over the edge and straightening herself, before she dislodged her grappling hook from it's place in the brick chimney. The fighter jet had landed on the roof, it's cargo door wide open to welcome her and escort her back to the Talon base. Taking one step forward, she hesitated. Somehow this didn't feel right, yet it was how it had always been. Eliminate the target, then get back to the base. Why was it so hard now? What was holding her back?

She threw a look over her shoulder, where Tracer was still lying on the lower roof. The girl had propped herself up on one arm, the other one clutching her side. Her chronal accelerator was flickering in irregular intervals, sending out the occasional show of bright, blue sparks. Widowmaker couldn't see the Brit's face as she was lying on her side, back turned towards the taller woman, but even without having to see these bright, hazel eyes, she knew that the girl was in much pain.

A voice called out to her through the cool night air, telling her to hurry up and beckoning her towards the fighter jet. She obliged, turning her head away from Tracer's pained form she walked straight towards the open hatch only stopping briefly to pick up her rifle where it had fallen onto the concrete roof when Tracer had knocked her back. The moment she stepped onto the polished metal that was the interior of the Talon fighter jet it took off, leaving the rooftops of London behind with incredible speed. This time Widowmaker didn't look back as the cargo door closed behind her. Now she had to be professional. She had to report back to Talon and get her new assignment and there was absolutely no room for strange emotions. She would have to figure them out at a later point if she really had to, though she wasn't looking forward. Something told her that dealing with these emotions wasn't going to be easy.

OWOWOWOWOW

Lena Oxton was lying on the cold, hard concrete of one of the rooftops in King's Row, gritting her teeth and trying her best to ignore the pain coursing through her entire body. She had tried her best to stop the Talon assassin from killing Mondatta but she had failed miserably. Broken and defeated, she tried to prop herself up on one arm in an attempt to get up, as a wave of pain rippled through her side. Her free hand immediately gripped the lower left side of her ribcage, but it did nothing to ease the pain. She suspected that at least one, if not more of her ribs had been broken either from her crashing into the side of the building or her fall onto the lower rooftop. She knew she had to get up. She was in a very bad position and this blue-skinned woman that had quite expertly used every trick in the book to defeat her now had all the time in the world to finish the job. But the final blow never came.

Tracer wasn't sure how long she lay there on the roof, clutching her side and trying desperately to regain control of her body, but when she heard the howl of the engines of the fighter jet above come to life, she knew the assassin was leaving. Why was she leaving and not killing her? Maybe she thought that Tracer's wounds would get the best of her or that she was in such a bad shape the local authorities would pick her up soon enough. And if Lena didn't move fast that would be the case. Already she could hear sirens in the distance, announcing the arrival of every military and government organization inside and outside of London. Thekartha Mondatta had been a high priority target. He had had a huge following of people who believed in him. He had tried his best to bring peace to the world and now he was dead because Tracer had failed in her duty. If any of the local authorities found her here they were sure to detain her immediately.

"Lena, what happened?" she heard Winston's voice crackle through the communicator in her ear. "I saw the news, are you alright? Speak to me!"

"He's dead, Winston." Tracer said, voice strained. "He's dead because I couldn't save him." tears started to form in her eyes once again.

"Don't say that, Lena, you're a professional now quit whining and act like it. We need to get you out of there, the police are all over your location. Are you hurt? Can you get to the extraction zone?"

"I... I think I broke a few ribs and my accelerator took a really bad hit." she said through gritted teeth.

"Dammit!" Winston shouted. "Can you hide somewhere? I'll get you out of there as soon as I can, I promise." Tracer could hear him type something on his keyboard and various other noises she couldn't place.

"Better hurry, big boy. Dunno if I can keep my eyes open for much longer." she said, grimacing as she willed herself onto her knees.

"Hang in there kiddo, help is on the way! Just hang on, okay?"

OWOWOWOWOW

Widowmaker was back at Talon Headquarters. She had succeeded in the elimination of her target, had been debriefed by her superiors and had been given a new target before she was sent to her personal quarters to prepare for her next assignment.

Her new job was simple. Her target, the head of a Brazilian weapons manufacturer, would be an easy kill. Still, she did what she had always done to prepare for the job, which was to thoroughly research her target.

Part of her training was to sniff out every little detail, every routine, every quirk her target had, no matter how insignificant it may appear. That was why she was so effective. Because she knew her targets just as well as they knew themselves.

The blue-skinned woman sat in her quarters in front of an array of monitors, browsing through several different websites, news broadcasts and surveillance vids featuring her new target. She was trying her best to concentrate on the task at hand but every now and again the memories of her fight with Tracer resurfaced, along with the odd, unpleasant emotion she had felt when the Brit had had her pinned down. She knew that she had felt like this before, but she couldn't recall when and why just like she couldn't pin a name on it either.

Bringing up Talon's internal database she typed in the name of the obnoxious British girl. She knew the contents of the page. She had read the files on every known Overwatch operative to get a sense of their strengths and weaknesses, but she decided to read these specific files again, regardless.

 _Name: Lena Oxton_

 _Call Sign: Tracer_

 _Birthplace: United Kingdom_

 _Date of Birth: Unknown_

 _Age: approx. 26_

 _Height: 1,62M/ 5'4"_

 _Hair Color: Brown_

 _Eye Color: Brown_

 _Affiliations: Overwatch Pilot (former), Overwatch Agent (disbanded)_

 _Status: Active_

 _Abilities: Subject is able to control the flow of time to her own advantage through the use of a 'Chronal Accelerator' which she wears around her chest. She is reported to be extremely quick, disappearing and reappearing in different locations at a moment's notice. The Subject uses two pulse pistols with high precision as a means of attack, as well as utilizing potent explosives._

 _Extreme caution is advised when engaging the Subject._

 _Last seen: London, United Kingdom_

 _Current Location: Unknown_

There wasn't much else stored in the files aside from a few pictures of Tracer in her uniform. Next, Widowmaker flipped through various news articles, the majority of them covering the recent assassination of Mondatta and Tracer's alleged involvement in it. Apparently the brunette had mingled with the crowd before the speech and had left in a hurry soon after it started. There was one short, low quality video that showed the young girl falling off the roof following an explosion, then cut out after the sound of gunfire could be heard. One article stated that the Brit had previously to her falling from the roof, infiltrated a secure communications channel used by Mondatta's guards. All in all the news made it look like Tracer was the prime suspect in the Omnic's assassination as she had disappeared right after the attack.

This should please Widowmaker. It meant she had done an excellent job. Not only had she killed the one being that could truly unite humans and machines, but she had also managed to stay undetected. Now the world blamed the former Overwatch agent, sowing even more distrust and hate for the former members of this supposedly heroic and selfless Organization. It should indeed please her, but it didn't.

Her chest once again felt as if something was pressing down on it. Why was she feeling like this? Why was she feeling anything at all? She wasn't supposed to. She was a killer. Patient, precise, merciless.

With a gesture of her hand she closed all tabs on the holographic display and stood up from her desk. She needed a distraction from these thoughts, but first and foremost, she needed a shower. Crossing the dimly lit room she opened a sliding door on the far end and stepped into the spacious bathroom. Shedding her tight bodysuit she stepped into the shower as water began to gush from multiple shower heads built into the ceiling and the walls, drenching her immediately. The water was cold, like it always was. Widowmaker didn't like hot things as her body was especially sensitive to higher temperatures. Raising her head she closed her eyes as the water splashed onto her face. She untied the ribbon that was keeping her hair in place and ran her hands through it, enjoying the sensation.

She stood there for some time, almost unmoving, trying to clear her head and force every unwanted thought out of it, but somehow her thoughts always returned to the events that occurred earlier tonight. Images of Tracer's face flashed before her inner eye. Her expressions going from anger to desperation, to confusion, then to something else the assassin couldn't place. It was frustrating. A scowl on her face, she opened her eyes and cranked up the water temperature. As the water turned from cold to lukewarm then to hot she gritted her teeth as the temperature reached a point where it felt almost as if it was burning her entire body. This self-torment she inflicted upon herself at least succeeded in clearing her mind for some time as she focused solely on the pain she was experiencing.

She didn't know how long she stood there, the water scalding her body. When she turned off the flow of the water she was almost expecting to see her skin covered in burns, but it was the same pristine blue color it had always been.

The hot water had created a dense fog in the room that clung to every smooth surface it could find. Widowmaker stepped out of the shower and moved to the sink, wiping at the mirror to clear away the condensation. Her own face stared back at her, expression blank and undecipherable. It told nothing of the fight that went on behind those bright, yellow eyes.

"What did she do to you?" she asked herself in a low whisper, half expecting her mirror image to answer her. She didn't know what this obnoxious little girl had done to her, just as she didn't know if she wanted to find out. She only knew one thing. Whatever it was she was feeling, it wasn't good. Not for her, not for her mission, not for Talon. If they found out she was having trouble focusing, that she was growing weak, they would surely kill her.

Knowing this she also knew there was only one way to deal with this situation.

She had to kill Tracer.

* * *

Well, hello there people of the interwebs. I won't keep you for long, just wanted to say a few things: I've gotten into Overwatch quite recently and fallen head over heels for the WidowTracer ship, so I decided to try and fabricate a story about these two. Thankfully, Blizzard has mostly only given us snipbits of the story so far, so I can get away with filling in the blanks as i see fit. That being said, I will change some of the details and the timeline to fit the story, especially in the later chapters (yes this will probably, hopefully, fingers crossed, be a multichapter story).

Also I have to warn you, I am not a very regular updater and I tend to lose interest in writing rather quickly (I know, I'm a horrible person) but I wanted to upload this one regardless. I'll try to update at least every few weeks but I make no promises, as it takes me quite some time to write just one chapter... (second languages be damned!)

Oh and if you could be so kind as to overlook some of the errors I've made, that would be great (insert meme here).


	2. Chapter 2

**C'est La Vie**

Chapter 2

" _What if some of the things we stumble upon are really things we were unknowingly gravitating towards?"_

 _Unknown_

Tracer woke up with a pounding headache. She squinted against the lights that seemed far too bright as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She was back in her quarters at the old Overwatch base, Watchpoint: Lombardy. How she had gotten here she couldn't remember. She only vaguely remembered seeking cover in an abandoned apartment in King's Row after taking a pretty bad beating by one of Talon's assassins.

She raised a hand to rub at her temple in an attempt to ease her headache, when she noticed the IV line sticking out the back of her hand. Inspecting herself a little closer she found that her chest and stomach were heavily bandaged underneath her chronal accelerator and a wound on her head had apparently been stitched. Help must've gotten to her in time. No doubt Winston had sent Mercy along to pick her up. Back when Overwatch was still kicking, the Swiss doctor had always been on the front lines as a field medic, never afraid to get her hands dirty. She had been one of the first agents, along with Tracer herself, to join Winston in his efforts to revive the Overwatch program.

Lena slowly shifted to a sitting position on her bed and looked around the room. She was alone in her quarters, her clothes sat on the foot of her bed, neatly folded and washed. Instead of her iconic brown and orange uniform she was dressed in a hospital gown. No doubt Mecry had done this to her, too. The older woman knew how much she hated these things.

All in all, Lena's quarters were very basic, as were most of the living spaces on almost every Watchpoint. Overwatch wasn't known for it's luxurious outposts. Aside from the bed she was lying in, there was a small bedside table next to her, a larger, metal desk protruding from the opposite wall with holographic displays in various sizes, a keyboard and a holopad on it. A very basic chair stood in front of the desk. There were two sliding doors, one led out of her room and to the hallway that connected to many more rooms like this as well as the rest of the facility. The other door led to a very small bathroom, with an even smaller shower, a toilet, a small sink and a mirror. Aside from that there was quite a lot of storage room hidden behind the walls. In the upper corner above her bed was a window through which artificial sunlight was streaming into the room. Since the whole facility was located underground there were no actual windows, so they had implemented these lights to give the inhabitants some sense of time, as it emulated the day and night cycle. It wasn't very luxurious, but it was home. At least now it was.

Lena was about to try and get up to... well, to do something, since she wasn't willing to sit in bed all day, when she heard voices from the corridor outside her door. The sliding doors to her quarters opened as Mercy, followed by Winston, came walking in, engaged in an argument.

"... told you this was a bad idea. We don't have the resources to support these kinds of missions and you know it. I don't blame you for trying to reinstate the Overwatch project, you had good intentions, but we are unorganized and spread too thin." The blond woman argued, sounding slightly aggravated. Winston, a giant, genetically engineered gorilla scientist, rolled his eyes at Mercy's rant and let out a puff of air.

"I know we don't have the resources, but what did you expect me to do? We couldn't just stand idly by and let it happen." he said in his deep voice.

"And yet it happened anyway. And on top of throwing all the money and equipment out of the window your recklessness almost got one of our best operatives killed." Mercy said, glaring at the scientist.

"Gee, thanks... I know I messed up but did you have to say it like that?" Lena said in a small voice, the guilt over her failure making her stomach churn.

"Oh good, you're awake." Mercy exclaimed, looking relieved to have an excuse to get out of the deadlocked conversation. She hurried over to the bed, quick, expert hands checking the Brit's wounds and making some adjustments to the various medical equipment around her. "Alright, everything looks good so far." she came to a stop at the foot of the bed, a clip board in her hands, as she regarded Lena with an intense stare.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like Winston tackled me to the floor... again." Tracer said with a smirk.

The towering scientist gave a resonating laugh as he approached the bed. "Good to see you're in one peace, kiddo."

"Yes, yes well. You seem to be doing just fine now," Mercy continued in a very professional manner. "although your state was critical when we first got to you."

"Give it to me straight, doc." Lena said and Mercy paused for a moment while regarding her with one of her trademark, indecipherable stares.

"Well, you had several broken ribs as well as heavy internal bleeding and a severe concussion. It was difficult but I was able to stop the bleeding and mend your wounds to the best of my abilities. That being said, your healing process should be quite quick. I expect you will be able to return to light duty in about 2 days, though I recommend that you refrain from _'blinking through time'_ andany strenuous activities for at least another 7 days."

"7 days?!" Lena shouted unbelieving.

"Yes, you heard me right. If you want to make a full recovery you will have to take it slow."

"Don't worry kiddo, you'll be back in action in no time. You'll just have to take it slow for a while." Winston consoled her. "Besides, your chronal accelerator took quite a lot of damage. I've been able to stabilize it but I still need to make a few repairs to restore all of it's functions."

"Aw, this sucks..." the brunette pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That is what you get when you engage one of the worlds most effective assassins on your own. Now, I need to get back to my work, you know where to find me should you need me." the older woman made her way over to the exit, the sliding doors opening almost soundlessly. She paused before stepping out, throwing a look over her shoulder at the bedridden pilot.

"And Lena? Don't beat yourself up over this. I doubt any of us would have been able to stop Widowmaker. It wasn't your fault." she shot Tracer a brief, reassuring smile before exiting the room, the doors sliding shut behind her.

Lena released a breath she didn't know she was holding. It could have been worse, she knew that. She could have woken up in a cell instead of the security of their outpost, or, even worse than that she could have not woken up at all. She was grateful to her friends for rescuing her and bringing her back in one piece but the relief paled in comparison to her own conscience nagging away at her.

"She's right, you know?" Winston said tentatively, knowing how Tracer must feel. "You were up against Talons best agent on your own, you were lucky she didn't kill you as well."

"Yeah, guess you're right." Except she could have killed her. Twice, in fact. But Lena kept those thoughts to herself.

"Alright, you know what comes next. I need a full report from you about everything that happened." Lena groaned. She hated writing reports. "But," Winston said, holding up a hand to stop her from objecting. "I realize you have been through quite a lot, so the report can wait if you don't feel up for it right now."

"Thanks, Winston. I guess I really should rest some more. You know, doctor's orders and all." Tracer said, smirking. In truth she wasn't feeling very exhausted, it was just that she wasn't particularly keen on recounting her encounter with Widowmaker. Especially when she herself wasn't entirely sure about what had actually happened on that rooftop.

"In that case I will leave you to it. Get some rest. I'll stop by later with some food." he gave a mock salute and went for the door.

She watched as the door shut behind Winston. Tracer was alone again in her small apartment. She knew she wouldn't be getting much rest as her mind wandered back to the events on the rooftops of London. In her mind she was going through every step, every motion of Widowmaker, trying to figure out why she hadn't just killed her when she had the opportunity. It vexed her because Talon were obviously going after former Overwatch agents. The attack on Watchpoint: Gibraltar had proven this. So why the hell was she still alive?

Not wanting to sit in her bed doing nothing all day, she carefully sat up and swung her legs off the bed. Her body protested her movements, as it sent ripples of pain through her chest and ribcage. She paused for a moment, trying to steady her breathing and gain the upper hand on her body. She succeeded and slowly pushed herself off the mattress, grimacing as her bare feet touched the cold metal floor. So far so good. She was a little wobbly on her legs but it wasn't like she would collapse at any moment. She made her way over to the desk, careful not to lose her balance. She grabbed the holopad in one hand and made her way back to the bed, sliding back under the covers and making herself comfortable. She wasn't about to sit here and do nothing. Instead she would spend her time doing some research on this blue-skinned woman.

She quickly logged into the Overwatch database and opened the assassin's profile. To her disappointment, there wasn't much there.

 _[Note: access to these files is restricted.]_

 _[Error: Insufficient Permission; limited access has been granted]_

 _[Cleanup: complete]_

 _Name: unknown_

 _Alias: Widowmaker_

 _Country: France (presumably)_

 _Birthplace: unknown_

 _Date of Birth: unknown_

 _Age: unknown_

 _Sex: female_

 _Hair: black_

 _Eyes: yellow_

 _Height: approx. 1,75m/5'9"_

 _Peculiarities: light blue skin; tattoo on right arm spelling 'cauchemar' (French: nightmare), tattoo of a Black Widow on back_

 _Affiliations: Talon_

 _Classification: Sniper; Assassin_

 _Abilities: advanced use of sniper and assault rifles, advanced use of diverse martial arts, use of toxic explosives, advanced use of a grappling hook_

 _Priority: Type A_

 _Last seen: King's Row, London_

 _Current Location: unknown_

Lena bit the inside of her lip. She had expected to find more on the assassin. She scrolled back to the top of the file. 'Access to these files is restricted'. Why would they be restricted and why didn't she have access?

"Hey, Athena?" Tracer said, prompting a small holographic 'A' to appear on her bedside table that began to flicker as the AI spoke.

"Yes, Ms. Oxton?" Athena inquired.

"I can't seem to find much info about Widowmaker in the databases and what little there is I don't have full access to. Do you know what that's about?"

"The current Overwatch database is a collection of all the information I have been able to extract from accessing previous Overwatch databases in various locations. They are incomplete." the AI said calmly.

"Okay... and what about these restrictions?" the Brit wondered.

"I have been programmed to keep the access level restrictions on certain files active, only applying slight changes in terms of adjusting various security levels of Overwatch members. I am not authorized to grant access to confidential data, if that is what you are implying."

"So who has the authority to do that?" Lena asked, raising a brow.

"As the current head of operations, Doctor Winston is in charge of granting personnel access to confidential information."

"Thanks, Athena, that would be all." she said, dismissing the AI.

"As you wish, Ms. Oxton. Signing you off."

This raised more questions than it answered. Why would Winston implement restrictions on certain files? Her headache began to worsen as all these different thoughts raced through her head. She had to put the holopad down to massage her forehead with both hands. Maybe she should call Mercy back in so the doctor could give her something for this damned headache. Then again she wasn't one to fuss about every little ache in her body. Maybe she really should get some rest. She could worry about this whole Widowmaker thing when she was feeling better.

Turning the pad off and placing it on the table next to her she snuggle into the blankets and closed her eyes, trying not to let her mind be invaded by more thoughts of the blue skinned assassin. Luckily for her sleep was already waiting at the edges of her mind, quickly encompassing her and granting her a dreamless sleep.

OWOWOWOWOWOW

"Hey Winston, can I ask you something?" Tracer asked, biting her lower lip feeling nervousness well up inside her. Winston was sitting on a stool beside her bed, currently very busy repairing the brunette's chronal accelerator. He seemed to be quite engrossed in his work, but he replied, although a few seconds passed before he did.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" the scientist said without looking up from his work on Lena's chest.

"I've done some digging on Widowmaker, you know, to get a feel of what she's capable of and... there are a lot of restricted files I can't get into. I was wondering..." She left the sentence hanging, unsure of how to phrase the questions that had been boggling her mind for the past two days now.

Winston halted in his movements, his hand with the soldering iron hovering in the air. He wasn't looking at Lena, but she could see his brows knead together as he seemed to debate something internally. Finally he spoke.

"I... suppose it's no use in keeping it a secret anymore, with what has happened... I guess you have the right to ask." he put his tools down beside him and regarded Lena with a stern expression. "Do you remember Gérard Lacroix?"

"Yeah, I remember him. He was the guy who designed the Slipstream, wasn't he?"

"He was head of the research team, yes. He was there when you took the initial test flight. Brilliant man and a great scientist! I had the privilege to work with him on one occasion, best two months of my life." Winston recounted. "But that's not what you asked about. Sorry, I got a little carried away." he apologized.

"It's alright, you must have really admired him." Lena said with a small smile on her face.

"I did, I did... anyway. Because he had such a great mind there were quite a few people who wanted his head. But back then Overwatch did a pretty good job at keeping their own guys safe. Many people tried to kill him but all assassination attempts were unsuccessful. That's where Talon and Widowmaker come in." he sighed as he took off his glasses, seeming reluctant to meet Tracer's eyes.

"You see, she wasn't always this cold and calculated killer she is today. Back then she was just an ordinary woman by the name of Amélie Lacroix,who happened to be Gérard's wife. When Talon were unable to kill him they kidnapped Amélie and did God knows what to her." He paused, fiddling nervously with his glasses. "When our guys finally found her she seemed none the worse for wear, so she went back to her normal life alongside her husband. Then, two weeks later they found Gérard in his bed, a knife in his chest with Amélie's fingerprints all over it. But she was nowhere to be found."

"They covered this whole story up pretty quickly, saying they both died at the hands of an assassin that night. There's even a grave with Amélie's name on it somewhere on the outskirts of Annecy in France, next to her husband's." He finished, looking back up at tracer.

"That's... awful." Lena whispered, barely able to comprehend everything her friend had just told her. "But how are you so sure that that's her?"

"Widowmaker matches Amélie's profile perfectly and we never found a body, which means she could still be alive. She's also working for Talon, who originally fabricated this whole assassination plot. We don't know what they did to her exactly throughout the years after her disappearance, but whatever it was it killed everything Amélie used to be." He said before he put his glasses back on.

"So... does she know? I mean..." Lena asked.

"We don't know what she knows. No one's ever really talked to her much, or lived to tell the tale. All I know is that the woman she used to be is no more. Maybe they did something to her mind to erase her memories, who knows." Winston replied.

The brunette was trying her hardest to comprehend all of these new informations. The gears in her head started turning rapidly, as she went over her fight with Widowmaker again and again. This would explain why the older woman reacted the way she did. Winston was about to pick his tools back up and continue with his work when Lena spoke up again.

"I need to tell you something." she said, feeling unsure if she should tell her friend about her thoughts.

"Oh?" Winston said, fixing his bright, golden eyes on his friend.

"I wasn't complete honest with you." She half mumbled, unable to look at Winston. "When I wrote my report, I left out a few details because... I don't really know why I did it and it was stupid, I know. We need all the information we can get and I..."

"Lena." Winston interrupted her. "Don't worry about it. Whatever it is you can tell me." He gave her a reassuring smile. Tracer swallowed hard. She suddenly had doubts about telling Winston the reason behind her unease. Maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. She was probably just overreacting and interpreting way too much into it. After everything Winston had just told her she somehow doubted that Widowmaker's decision to not kill her had anything to do with Lena herself. Really, why would the world's greatest assassin spare the life of a silly, young girl. It didn't make any sense. Surely the older woman must've had an underlying motive.

"Winston to Lena, are you still in there?" Winston said, waving a hand in front of Lena's face. The young pilot blinked a few times. She had completely spaced out on her friend.

"Gosh, sorry, I totally blanked." she said apologetically, feeling a little embarrassed.

"It's alright, kiddo. So, what's this you're brooding about?"

"Um..." she began, biting her lower lip nervously. "When we were on that rooftop, Widowmaker and I, you know, after she shot Mondatta I was just so furious that I charged her head on. I didn't know how to write this in the report but somehow I was able to pin her down and I just... I just screamed at her 'Why would you do this'. I still don't understand how anyone could be so... so heartless, but when we were lying there on the roof she could have killed me. But she didn't. She didn't even move and there was something in her eyes. I don't know, it sounds ridiculous. It was probably nothing. I shouldn't have bothered you with this. It's probably just my imagination" she finished her rant. She could feel the heat rise up in her cheeks. It really sounded ridiculous when she said it out loud.

Winston only looked at her, cocking his head to one side. "So what do you think happened between you two?"

"I dunno, as I said it was probably just my imagination. I mean after everything you just told me I doubt that there's any chance that..."

"any chance that Amélie could still be in there." Winston finished the sentence. He stroked his chin as he continued. "The way I see it there could be two possible explanations. Number one would be that you simply weren't her target. She had finished her job by eliminating Mondatta and you were no threat to her. This is the most likely. Secondly, there _could_ be a chance that you triggered something in Widowmaker that gave her pause. We know too little about what Talon did to her to know if this possibility is true, however."

"So what are you saying? That I made her... remember something, is that right?" the Brit asked.

"It is possible, yes. But we best not gamble on it. Widowmaker is still a very dangerous woman and you should be more cautious the next time you fight her. Charging her was a very bad idea, I hope you realize that." Winston warned her, his expression stern.

"But what if you're right, though? What if there's still some of Amélie left? Don't you want to help her?" Lena argued, not willing to let go of this argument, now that she had an idea of what had happened on that roof.

"Believe me when I say that I would like to, but we don't know if she actually wants our help. I know that you believe in the good of humanity and that everyone deserves a second chance, but right now we have bigger issues to deal with, I'm sorry." The way he said it told Lena that there was no use in arguing with him any further. She knew that her furry friend could be just as stubborn as she was and she didn't want to start a fight right now. She made the decision that she would bring this up at a later point. Maybe she could still change Winston's point of view for the better. She knew that he wanted to help people just as much as she did.

"You're right. Sorry I brought this up." Lena apologized.

"It's alright. I know how much you care about people, even those you don't know." he gave her a sad smile. "Now, I'm almost done with repairing your accelerator. Why don't we try a few test runs just to make sure it's working properly?"

"But Mercy said I wasn't allowed to blink for a full week."

"I won't tell if you don't." He said with a bright smile.

"Let's do it!" Tracer exclaimed, a mischievous grin on her lips. Practice was sure to take her mind off of things.

* * *

Heya, I'm back! I finally stopped playing Overwatch long enough to finish this chapter, yay :) Boy, that game is addictive... Anyway here's the next chapter, hope you like it. It's mostly just dialog and very little action, also this is entirely centered around Tracer since I find it easier to write from her perspective. Maybe I'll try my hands at writing a chapter centered around Widowmaker sometime in the future, we'll see how it goes.

Oh btw, that quote I wrote at the beginning isn't from me. I read that somewhere on the internet and thought is was really beautiful, but I can't remeber where I found it...

Also thank you very much for your reviews, I really enjoyed reading them :) Have a great day!


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